A former Midland mayoral candidate has stepped up to challenge longtime state House Rep. Tom Craddick in the 2014 elections.

Dan Anderson, who won about 3.8 percent of the vote in November, has filed to run for the state House of Representatives in District 82, which includes Crane, Upton, Dawson, Martin and Midland counties.

Rather than attempting to upset the incumbent who has been part of the state House since 1969, Anderson said he is running because it is “another great opportunity to spread a conservative message.” During his mayoral campaign, Anderson was a proponent of libertarian values and ideals such as zero property taxes and a limited City Hall that only retains basic services such as fire and police departments.

“One thing that the Libertarian Party is doing is getting candidates on every ballot,” Anderson said. “It’s about getting more exposure through candidacies.”

Anderson recently expressed his libertarian values on Saturday when he participated in a “Come and Take it” open carry demonstration. Anderson said citizens have a right to bear arms and that there should be a provision for people to carry handguns without a license.

Other than working to gain exposure for the Libertarian Party, Anderson said his candidacy is a means to question Craddick’s policies and decades-long tenure. He named one of Craddick’s proposals, a ban on texting while driving, an “overreach” on individual rights.

In contrast to his mayoral candidacy, Anderson said he will not be running a campaign unless he receives a momentum of support in Midland. In the five-person mayoral race in November, Anderson finished fourth and received the least amount of contributions.

By running as a Libertarian, Anderson will not have to participate in the March 4 primary. Instead, Anderson hopes to be nominated by the Libertarian Party at its convention, which also is in March.

“The majority of people pick ‘R’ when voting,” Anderson said. “But some people wish they could pick ‘Libertarian.’”